1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of marine safety devices in general, and in particular to lockable propeller guard apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,680,017; 4,957,459; 5,389,021; and 5,501,622, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse propeller guard devices.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical lockable propeller guard apparatus that will prevent access to the propeller when the lock mechanism is engaged and which has a removable cover plate member that can be detached from the apparatus when the propeller is in use.
While most cage style propeller guards do an adequate job of eliminating the possibility that the propeller blades will come into direct contact with swimmers, mammals such as manatees, or the like, and other objects, they suffer a major drawback in that the cage structure located downstream of the propeller blades reduces power and also produces unwanted cavitation.
Therefore, the ideal propeller guard apparatus should provide a secure lockable generally solid enclosure that surrounds the propeller when the motor is not in use and which also has a lockable cover element which is removable from the remainder of the apparatus to eliminate any backwash effect from water that has passed through the propeller.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved lockable propeller guard apparatus having a removable cover plate member, and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.